The Pastor’s Reflections
Before we reflect on two important sayings of Jesus, we need to review the incident that preceded this passage. Jesus had healed a man who had been born blind. The Pharisees immediately involved themselves in the incident. They twice interrogated the man who had been healed, and even questioned his parents in an attempt to discredit Jesus. They accused him of being a sinner because he cured the man on the Sabbath. They had previously spread the word among the people that anyone who said that Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated from the Jewish community. At the end of the account the religious authorities followed up on their threat and dismissed the man from the synagogue.
Jesus found the man he had healed. He was still in the area. The Pharisees were keeping a watch on him but Jesus found a private moment and declared to him that he was indeed the Messiah. He then spoke loudly enough for the Pharisees to hear. “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see might become blind.” (John 9:39) Jesus then addressed the people who had been listening. This is the passage for our reflection.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.” (John10:1) In Israel’s past, several prophets had criticized the leadership of the religious leaders, “the shepherds of Israel.” Jesus built on their image, simultaneously condemning the Pharisees as unworthy shepherds, and prophesying about himself.
Building upon the image of the shepherd, Jesus presented a picture that was familiar to his audience. Towns had a communal pen for the shepherds of the area. Each evening they would herd their flocks into the sheepfold. In the morning each shepherd would come by and call to his sheep who would immediately respond to his voice, separate themselves from the others, and follow him out to pasture.
“Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep…the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow the voice of a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5)
The case Jesus was making was clear to everyone, including the Pharisees. The people were listening to Jesus, and calling themselves his disciples. They found his message compassionate and liberating. He spoke of God as their Abba, daddy, who loved them. The Pharisees based religion on scrupulous adherence to the law. Jesus condemned them for it because they had corrupted religion, turning it into a lifeless multitude of do’s and don’ts. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to carry, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they do not lift a finger to remove them.” (Matthew 23:4) Jesus immediately continued developing this image of the shepherd. In towns, the communal sheep pen was secured by a strong door during the night. In the summertime, however, the shepherds spent the nights outdoors in the fields. Scattered through the countryside were other communal pens. These didn’t have a door, however. So the shepherd slept in the opening to the pen. A robber or wild animal would have to walk over him to get to the sheep. The “good shepherd” was a noble man willing to put his life on the line for his sheep. “Amen, amen, I say to you. I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy. I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 7-10)
Jesus held himself up for comparison with the Pharisees. He was the good shepherd willing to lay down his life for the sheep. The Pharisees were thieves who stole the religion of Israel. They destroyed the religion of Israel by removing its heart and replacing it with lifeless laws. These laws effectively shackled the people. The Pharisees made the people slaves of the law. Jesus offered them the life and the freedom of the children of God.
All of us can benefit from contemplating Jesus’ two profound statements: “I am the sheep gate,” and “I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep.” Jesus has called each of us to a life of loving service, clergy and laity, each in our own way. It isn’t easy. Each day we have to lay down our lives for one another. Each day we have to resist the temptation of glorifying ourselves. Each day we have to wash each other’s feet in loving service.
